What if?
by BDK89
Summary: What if Belle didn't leave after her dance with the Beast? What if she just told him how she felt? What if..?
1. Chapter 1

Belle's POV

All I could do was look at him. I never imagined he could look so handsome. He had dressed up for the occasion, wearing a blue tailcoat. As I continued down the stairs, I couldn't help but smile at him. _My Beast._ Finally I reached him. We bowed and he offered me his arm, which I gladly took.

We didn't talk much during dinner. He was trying very hard to use his utensils, and I couldn't help but smile a little to myself. It seemed only yesterday that we shared our first meal. I had been quite shocked to see him eat. Both his muzzle and his clothes had been covered in pieces of food. I smiled again. He had changed so much over the last few months, the beast he had been when he had imprisoned me was nowhere to be found anymore. The butterflies I felt in my stomach didn't surprise me anymore, I'd been feeling them for a while now. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I stood up and tried not to run to him.

'Dance with me?' I asked, wishing he'd say yes. 'Oh... well.. Um, I..Okay?' I smiled widely at him. He seemed as nervous as I felt as he led me to the ballroom. Yet I was convinced we were doing the right thing. Surely, something that felt so good couldn't be wrong? My beast didn't seem to know what to do, so I placed his paw at my waist, while I took the other one in my hand and started the dance. Soon he seemed so at ease that he took over the leading and twirled me around on the beautiful dance floor.

I let my head rest against his chest, knowing I could happily keep dancing like this for eternity. For that moment, everything was perfect. I knew I had to say something, the most important thing. For weeks I'd been wanting to tell him, but I couldn't. As we danced on, the butterflies in my stomach felt more and more intense. I looked up, into those blue eyes of his that I could always drown in. never had I seen more beautiful eyes. Once again I nestled my head into his chest and closed my eyes._ I have to say it, I have to!_

I took a deep breath, and whispered the words I had said in my head at least a hundred times already. 'I love you.'

* * *

Adam's POV

I had to admit to myself that dancing was nowhere near as bad as I feared it would be. It seemed so silly now, not to want to dance with Belle. I tried to remember why I was so hesitant to do this, but I couldn't remember. The only thing on my mind now was her. Belle. _I love you_. I thought the words, but I didn't dare to say them out loud. Not when things were going so well. Afraid she might not feel the same way about me. Part of me realized how silly it was, I was probably not going to get another chance like this. I looked down, into those beautiful doe brown eyes, and lost myself completely in them. As we danced, I realized how far I-how far _we_ had come in the last couple of months.

It seemed only yesterday that I imprisoned her father. Back then I'd been a beast in every way possible. Even though I still _looked _like one right now, I felt so much more human nowadays. _Like a man_. All thanks to Belle. I owed her so much. _I love you._ I still didn't say it loud. Why couldn't I just do it? What did I have to loose? As I was going over all the arguments in my head, something happened. Belle laid her head against my chest. Such a small gesture, yet so important. It felt as if I would explode, never in my life had I felt such love for somebody. _I'm going to tell her_. Belle looked up and smiled at me and I smiled back. The familiar butterflies fluttered through my stomach. I opened my mouth to speak, but changed my mind. _Stupid! _Once again, Belle laid her had her head against my chest. I could definitely get used to this. I smiled and took a deep breath. Tonight, I was finally going to confess my love for this beautiful young lady, as Lumière had said it. Just as I was about to say what I wanted to say, I heard her say, very quietly. 'I love you.' if I hadn't been a Beast, I wouldn't have been able to hear it, I was sure of that. Just then, it hit me. She said she loved me! Belle, the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on, loved _me! _Despite my looks, despite the way I'd treated her, despite all my mistakes! I couldn't believe it. I was about to tell her I loved her as well, when everything went black.

Were was I? It was so _light_ around me. This has to be what heaven looks like. _Heaven?_ Oh no, was I...? '_You're not dead.' _Who was that? _'Why, it's me of course! I know it's been ten years, but I thought I would have left a more permanent impression on you'. _I looked around to find a beautiful woman with golden hair and matching eyes. 'You.' It was the Enchantress. She smiled. She looked as beautiful as she did on that faithful night. 'If I'm not dead, then where am I?' '_You're with me,' _she said simply, as if that explained it all. I didn't quite understand, _why _was I here? I had to go to Belle, to tell her I loved her! The Enchantress smiled. 'A_h yes, your young lady. She's been very good to you, hasn't she?' _No. She wasn't _mine. _She would never belong to anyone, I knew she couldn't do that. Not Belle, she was was much too free-spirited. She would do whatever she want. And if she's let me, I'd be right there next to her. I muttered something unintelligible and then asked 'But _why_ am I here?' The Enchantress smiled again. '_I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you on breaking your curse, and to tell you to keep an eye out for me. This is only the beginning.'_ As I puzzled over what she had said, everything went black again and I felt my body falling down.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle's POV

As soon as I had said the words, I looked into my Beast's eyes, trying to calculate his reaction. I had prepared myself for the worst; after all, how likely was it that he felt the same way about me? What I had _not _prepared myself for, however, was what I saw when I looked up. I was just in time to see his beautiful blue eyes roll back in his head, and to watch him collapse onto the floor. What was happening?

'Beast?' I asked tentatively. No response. He couldn't be..? I threw myself on the floor and shaked his huge chest. 'Beast?'I asked again. Still nothing. _No. No! _I was in shock. What had happened? Just seconds ago everything had been so perfect, and now... I didn't even know what was going on. The first tears started to roll down my cheeks. Just as I was about to turn on the waterworks, something changed. Though, perhaps, _something_ wasn't the right word, _everything_ fitted better. Slowly, gradually, my Beast rose up in the air. At this point I was beyond shock. Of course I knew magic existed – how else could the past few months be explained? - but to see it happen right in front of me was a different story altogether.

I saw the Beast's body stir and all I could do was hope that somehow, miraculously, he had come back to life again. Suddenly, one of the Beast's paws transformed into a human hand. I jumped back, frightened and more than a little confused. What was going on here? Before I had much time to think about it, his other paw and legs followed, and before I knew it, I watched my beloved Beast's face transform into that of a man. The man eased down onto the ground, almost gracefully. Tentatively, I approached him, my hand stretched out, as if to touch this strange, beautiful man. At that moment the man stirred, and I jumped back again.

The man stood up and turned around. As I examined his face, I realized that I had seen him before. _The painting in the West Wing!_ This man was obviously royal. I curtseyed clumsily, not used to it. 'Your Highness' I mumbled, keeping my eyes down.

'Belle, it's me!' The voice sounded almost familiar. He lifted my chin gently, forcing me to look up. I peeked at him nervously, and found that the man was now standing just inches away from me. Hesitantly, I raised my hand and combed my fingers through his hair. It was quite soft, as the Beast's had been, but I wasn't convinced. As I looked into his eyes, however, everything fell into place. I knew it was him right away, I would always recognize those deep, beautiful, blue eyes. Nobody had eyes like that.

'It _is_ you!' I exclaimed, and I laid my hand on his cheek. Relief washed through me. _He is alive!_ At this moment I didn't want any explanations, I just wanted _him_, my Beast. His touch was soft, and I could feel my eyes roll into my head a little bit as he stroked my face. As I looked into his eyes, he moved his face slowly closer to mine. I closed my eyes and waited for our lips to touch.

* * *

Adam's POV

I knew I was awake, but I didn't open my eyes just yet. The dream I had was just to perfect, I didn't want to lose it. Belle told me she loved, which is why I knew it must have been a dream. Despite the happiness I felt over the dream, I also felt something close to sadness. _It was just a dream_. I sighed, and decided it was time to get up. While getting up, I realized how drowsy I was. I lifted my paw to rub my face in an attempt to put the drowsiness away. When I caught sight of my paw, however, I stopped. It wasn't a paw. It was a hand. A _human_ hand. Quickly, I checked my other paw, which I was stunned to discover had been turned into a hand as well. _But how? _The answer came to me less than a second later. _Belle! _It hadn't been a dream after all! I spun around, ready to face the love of my life.

I watched Belle's face carefully as she looked at me. All of a sudden, she did something I had not expected; she fell down in what I supposed was to be a curtsey, though it was quite obvious Belle was not used to doing this. 'Your highness,' she mumbled, keeping her eyes locked on the floor. For a second I just stood rooted to the spot, not sure what exactly what was going on here. Then it hit me; she had been in the West Wing, obviously she had seen the portrait. I used to take great pride in that portrait, but that was a long time ago. That man no longer existed. I needed to convince Belle of this.

As I walked towards Belle, I realized my heart was pounding. _Why am I so nervous? She loves me, I love her! _I told myself, though it didn't make any difference. As I stood in front of Belle, I took a deep breath. 'Belle? It's me!' gently I lifted her chin, wanting her to look more closely. If anyone could see past everything, it was Belle, of that I was absolutely sure. I watched Belle's face closely as she looked at me. I wondered what was going on inside her head. As Belle touched my hair, I forced myself to stand still, not wanting to frighten her. At long last she looked into my eyes. As my blue eyes locked on her brown ones, my heart skipped a beat. Never had I seen such beautiful eyes. Never had I seen such a beautiful _person_. Once again, I felt the familiar butterflies in my stomach.

I kept watching Belle closely. After just a second or two, I could see realization hitting her. Could it really be this easy? I had to remind myself this _was_ Belle after all, if anyone could look into my soul so easily, it was her.

'It _is_ you!' She exclaimed, caressing my cheek. Never had I heard more beautiful words, except perhaps when she told me she loved me. Without thinking about it, I raised my paw, _hand_, to brush a lock of hair out of her face. My eyes held hers as I slowly leaned closer to Belle. Though I was unsure of what exactly I was doing, I knew it felt right. Belle lifted her face to mine and closed her eyes. Finally, _finally, _our lips touched.

Our kiss started gently, but something pulled us closer together and unconsciously my arms wrapped themselves tighter around Belle's waist. Though I wished our kiss could last forever, I was the one to pull away first. Belle looked at me, her eyes full of love and wonder. 'It really is you!' she said, as though she still couldn't quite believe it. I smiled, realizing I owned her an explanation. Now was not the time for that though. This was a time for celebrations. 'It really is me,' I ensured her.

I had no intention of letting go of Belle anytime soon, so I kept my arm wrapped around her waist as I looked around. The castle seemed to have returned to its former glory. That could only mean one thing; the spell truly was broken. Screams of joy from various directions seemed to confirm this thought. I looked at my love and took her hand. 'Belle, let's go find you father!'


	3. Chapter 3

Belle's POV

'Belle, let's go find your father!' Despite the fact that I loved this idea of introducing my Beast to Papa, there was something I had to know first.

'Who are you?' I asked him. The Beast looked at me, obviously not quite understanding what I was talking about. 'What do you mean?' He asked. Instantly, I felt bad about my question, I could've formulated myself slightly more subtle! 'What I mean is... Well, I know you are the Beast, but what is your name? I can't just walk up to my father and introduce you as the Beast, can I?' I watched as the Beast seemed to think about that. 'Adam. My name is Adam,' he answered after a few seconds, sounding uncertain. 'Adam,' I repeated. 'I like it, it suits you.' Then I smiled at him. 'Adam,' I whispered, as I put moved my hands from his chest to caress his cheek again. The Beast – Adam mimicked my move and slowly bent closer to me.

Our second kiss was even better than our first one, something I had thought to be impossible. Now that I was prepared for what was coming, however, it turned out to be even easier to truly enjoy the kiss and the passion. After Adam broke the kiss, he pulled me into a hug a kissed the top of my head. 'I love you,' he whispered. It was impossible to miss the love in his voice, and I could feel tears in my eyes. I looked up and said, just as quietly, 'I love you too.' after another quick peck on the lips, I finally looked around. The castle didn't look anything like the way it looked just an hour ago.

_Has it really only been an hour? _So much had happened since then! Before I could think about those recent events too much, I turned back to Adam. 'I think you should explain to me what happened here,' I told him, a small smile on my face. His answering smile was nothing short of dazzling. 'I believe so too. But perhaps it can wait? Don't you want to find your father first?' _Papa! _I had forgotten all about him! 'You're right! Come with me.'

As we walked through the castle, I reached to entwine my fingers in Adam's. Along the way, we ran into several servants, all of whom had return to their human state. Adam smiled at all of them, occasionally shaking hands with them. I couldn't help but notice just how many of the servants bowed to me, murmuring greetings so as Mademoiselle, Ma'am or even Mistress. Just as I was about to ask Adam about this, I heard a familiar voice.

'Master!' I recognized the voice as Lumière's. A tall, gangly man walked towards us, a large grin on his face.'Lumière!' Adam exclaimed, grinning back at the former candelabra. I watched as the two men embraced, allowing them this moment of privacy. After a few seconds, Lumière turned to me and bowed. 'Ah, Mademoiselle! I always knew you would break the spell! For this, I will be forever in your debt! _Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle_.' With that, he kissed my hand and walked away.

* * *

Adam's POV

Belle seemed at loss for words. She stared after Lumière, her mouth hanging open. After a few seconds, she turned back to face me. 'Well, that was... Very friendly,' she said, blushing. 'Though I'm not quite sure I deserve a lifetime of gratitude,' I was glad to her a smile in her voice. I raised my hand to brush a lock of stray hair away from her face and smiled warmly at her. 'Of course you deserved it! You did save them, after all, my love,' I ensured her, and I leaned down to kiss her again.

Kissing Belle was something I would gladly do for the rest of my life. Never had I thought I could ever feel this much love for another person. Our kiss is over much too soon, but looking into Belle's doe brown eyes reminded me that we have all the time in the world to repeat our kisses. I grinned at her, and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Then I turned serious again. 'So, what about going to see your father?' I asked. Belle smiles at me. 'Let's go get Philippe ready,' she answered.

She was already leading me towards the stables, when a thought pops into my head. 'Um, Belle? Perhaps it would be a good idea to change clothes first? I'm not quite sure how well that gown would like riding a horse.' Plus, I really could use with a change of clothes as well, though I don't say this out loud. I was still wearing the blue tailcoat, but it was the Beast's size, not mine anymore. Belle looked at her golden gown as if she only just noticed she was wearing it. 'Oh. Yes, you're right. Of course you are. I'll meet you back here in fifteen minutes?' She asked. 'Fifteen minutes,' I confirmed, and turned around, walking back towards the West Wing.

Finding something appropriate to wear turned out to be a much easier task than I had initially anticipated. Somehow, my wardrobe was filled with clothes that all seemed to be my current size, rather than my Beastly size. I quickly picked out a pair of simple black pants and a white shirt. Just as I was about to return to the entrance hall to wait for Belle, I realized I wasn't wearing any shoes. For a moment I could just stare at my bare feet, all of a sudden fully realizing I was truly human again. As I put on a pair of black leather boots, I thought about Belle and how much I owed her. It was all thanks to her that I had to wear boots again. Never had I been more grateful to anyone, ever.

After I was fully dressed – I had quickly checked in the mirror, making sure I hadn't forgotten some essential piece of clothing – I rushed back to the entrance hall, where Belle was already waiting for me. She had put her blue dress back on. When she saw me, she smiled that beautiful, heart stopping smile of hers. 'Ready?' she asked. 'Ready,' I answered, knowing it was true.

We walked hand in hand to the stables, not saying much. I kept shooting glances at Belle. _This must be a lot for her to take in. _Belle quickly got Philippe ready, as I looked on. I felt rather uneasy as I thought about the fact that I had no clue how to put a saddle on a horse; I had always had servants doing those kind of things for me, yet Belle looked as if she had been doing this her entire life. Her life surely couldn't be more different from mine. At that moment Belle announced Philippe was ready to go, effectively putting an end to his thoughts.

The journey to Belle's village didn't take long at all, yet it felt as if I had never been this far away from home before. I realized this was probably due to the fact that I hadn't left the castle grounds in ten years. Just as I was about to share my thoughts with Belle, she announced that we had arrived.

The house was smaller than I had thought, yet it had a certain charm. It looked like something from one of the storybooks Belle had read to me. 'What do you think?' Belle asked, sounding expectant. 'It looks lovely,' I answered her, which earned me an another dazzling smile and a kiss on my cheek. Then she turned around and rushed inside. 'Papa!' I could her cry out in the distance. I took a deep breath, and made my way inside as well, temporarily distracted by the small, funny looking snowman next to the steps.

* * *

A/N: So, I have to admit I already like these longer chapters with both Belle's and Adam's POV's. Hope you do too!

As always, please leave a review! I sure love reading them. :) Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Belle's POV

I rushed inside, eager to see my father again, and even more eager to introduce him to Adam. Despite this eagerness, I felt a tinge of nervousness in the pitt of my stomach. This was due to the fact that I had no idea how Papa and Adam would respond to each other, the last time they had met wasn't what you could call a positive experience. _I'm sure everything will go just fine. Adam has changed so much, I'm sure Papa will see that. All he wants for me is to be happy, and Adam makes me happy. _The butterflies in my stomach were still there, but I was slightly less nervous. I turned around to face Adam, who, I noticed, looked slightly green. He much be feeling extremely anxious. He gave me a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. _Definitely nervous_, I decided, as I took his hand and smiled back at him.

'Don't worry, Adam, it'll be fine,' I tried to assure him, but I wasn't sure it had worked. I stood on my toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek. 'I'll be right here.' This seemed to work better, Adam seemed to relax slightly, though he still looked extremely tense. Just then, I heard someone cough in the next room. 'Papa!' I let go of Adam's hand and ran towards my father. 'Oh, Papa!' Papa was on his bed, looking rather pale, but his face lit up as soon as he saw me. 'Belle? Is it really you?' obviously he had not been expecting me. 'It's really me, Papa,' I assured him, giving him a hug. 'Oh, Belle! I thought I'd never see you again!' His voice was full of emotion, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

The hug lasted quite long, and I could feel Adam shift his weight uncomfortably behind me. As I reached out to him, ready to introduce him to Papa, my father spoke again. 'But the Beast! How did you escape?' I shot a quick, almost apologetic glance at Adam, who had turned bright red at these words. 'I didn't escape, Papa. He let me go,' I was sure my father could hear the smile in my voice, but he chose to ignore it. 'That horrible Beast?' Another glance at Adam, who looked as though he would love to just go up in smoke right this instance. 'He's not horrible, Papa! He's changed,' _A lot_, I added mentally, not quite daring to say these words aloud. 'Changed? How?' My father sounded extremely confused. As I was about to explain, Adam dared to speak for the first time.

He dropped to his knees, right in front of Papa and me, and bowed his head. 'Please monsieur, I owe you an apology. _I_ am the Beast who locked you up in my dungeon without any reason at all. I am the one who took your daughter from you, simply because you where lost in the woods and were trying to find a place to spend the night. There are no words to express how sorry I am. Nothing I will say is ever going to be able to make things right again. All I can say is that I am _truly_ sorry. I will do everything in my power to convince that I have changed, that Belle has changed me. I know I am not worthy of your forgiveness, but I beg you to give me the chance to try to make things up to both of you.'

* * *

Adam's POV

After my little speech, nobody spoke for a while. Though I tried to keep my head down, after a few seconds I couldn't help shooting a glance at Belle. I was surprised to see she had tears in her eyes. She looked almost.. _Proud_? As I was pondering this in my head, Maurice started to speak.

'Young man, I may not have a clue of what is going on here, but I can say one thing for sure, and that is that Belle seems to be quite comfortable around you,' Belle snickered at this. 'I am, Papa. I am.' She smiled blissfully, gazing at the wall. I looked at her, a smile on my face. She seemed lost in thought, and I wondered what could possibly be going through her mind right now. Belle's father coughed, bringing Belle back to the present. 'She always does that,' the old man snickered. 'Sorry,' Belle grinned. 'I don't believe I've introduced you two yet. Papa, I'd like you to meet Adam. Adam, this is my father, Maurice.' She took a step back, allowing us to shake hands. As I shook Maurice's hand, I once again bowed my head. 'Monsieur, it is an honor,' And it truly was. Maurice had every right to be angry with me, or to dismiss me from his house after all that I had done to him. Yet he was nothing but warm and welcoming towards me. 'Please, call me Maurice,' Belle's father told me. My heart skipped a beat, thrilled with his easy acceptance. I realized how much Belle and Maurice were alike, most people would not trust me this easily, especially after everything that had happened between the three of us.

I grinned widely at Belle, who seemed ecstatic with her father's approval of me as well. 'Please, monsieur – Maurice, you and Belle should come back to the castle with me! It would be a far more comfortable place for you! You could have your own workspace, and..' I tailed off. Maurice looked at me, an eyebrow raised, a look of what I suppose was suspicion on his face. As I started to stutter, trying to rephrase myself, I could hear Belle's feeble attempts at an apology next to me. I shot her a glance, and found that she looked rather flushed. Just then, I heard Maurice chuckle next to me. 'Relax, you two! I was just kidding. It's quite obvious the two of you are crazy about each other.' he turned to me then, looking serious. 'I would love to accept your invitation, son, but I'm afraid I am in no condition to be traveling right now. As soon as I feel better I would love to come though.' I nodded, inclining I understood. Then an idea hit me. 'Perhaps Belle and me could travel back to the castle so we could send a doctor to you?' I had no intention of leaving Belle, even for the shortest period of time, which is why I included her in my plan of going back to the castle.

At that moment, Maurice started coughing fiercely, causing Belle to almost jump on top of him. 'Papa! Are you okay?' She sounded so worried, I wished I could do something to comfort her. 'I'm fine, I'm fine,' Maurice assured her, though he sounded anything but fine to me. Belle turned to me. 'Perhaps you should go back to the castle alone, let me stay her with him,' she suggested. Every fiber of me shouted no at this. _I can't just leave her here, all by herself! What if that blasted Gaston found out she is here? _During one of our endless talks last Winter, Belle had told me everything about this Gaston fellow. I couldn't help but feel furious at him, as I did every time Belle had mentioned him. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I shook my head. 'I can't. I just.. Well, it's just that.. I_ can't_, Belle. I can't just leave you here. Why don't we just _try_ to take your father with us, back to the castle? He'll be looked after by one of the country's best physicians. We brought Phillipe, so he wouldn't have to walk.' I looked at Belle with despair. It felt good to tell her how much I needed her to stay with me, though I had wished I could tell her this in different circumstances.

Belle was about to answer me when we heard a knock on the door. 'Excuse me, I'll be right back,' Despite this, I followed her to the door, unsure why I did so. Perhaps I was trying to prove just how much I needed her. Belle opened the door. An older, menacing looking man looked at her. 'Good evening, Mademoiselle,' he said. I shot a glance at Belle. She didn't seem to recognize the man. 'How can I help you?' She asked, suspicion in her voice. I looked past the man to find a crowd standing on the little square in front of the house.

'I've come to collect your father.'


	5. Chapter 5

Belle's POV

'My father?' _Papa? But... Why? What's going on here? _The man gave me a wicked looking grin. 'Don't worry, mademoiselle,' he said, as he stepped aside, 'we'll take good care of him.' I looked behind him. A coach, which I recognized at once, stood behind him. _They want to take him to the asylum? _I shot a glance at Adam, who still stood right behind me, for which I was extremely thankful. He looked like he was thinking very hard. I looked back at Monsieur D'Arque. 'My father is not crazy!' A small man came out of the shade. 'Ha! He was raving like a lunatic!' It was Lefou. 'We all heard him, didn't we?' I heard the villagers agree. This could not be happening, it had to be a nightmare. How could things have gone from absolutely perfect to so bad in such a short period of time? As I was about to answer, I heard Adam mumble 'Monsieur, you should go back to bed, you don't want to see this.' Despite my anxiousness, my heart fluttered a little bit. He was just so _perfect_. Unfortunately, reality came knocking down on me, this time in the form of Gaston.

'Ah, poor Belle! It's a shame about your father!' I went against my instincts, clinging to Gaston. 'Please, Gaston, you know he's not crazy!' He rubbed his chin, pretending to be in deep thought, though I knew better. Gaston would never waste his time with things as un-manly as _thinking_. 'I might be able to clear up this little misunderstanding, if...' I knew where this was going, yet I was unable to ask the obvious. 'If what?' 'If you marry me.' _I knew I shouldn't have asked, I knew it!_ 'What?' Gaston gave me one of his trademark grins. It was sickening. 'Just one little word, Belle. That's all it takes!'

I was about to push Gaston away from me, but I found that all of a sudden he wasn't that close anymore. As I looked up, I saw Adam, who looked livid, holding Gaston. 'Never,' he spit out. It reminded me a little bit of my first night in the castle, when I had gone to the West Wing. Adam had looked almost as furious as he did now. I was extremely glad he was on my side this time though, looking as angry as he did now. 'And who might _you_ be?' Gaston scowled. Adam let go of him, and straightened his back. 'I am Adam, Prince of this province.' For a moment, Gaston looked surprised. Clearly he had not seen that one coming. His surprise only lasted for about a second, then he looked like his arrogant old self again. 'Well, _your majesty_,' he spit out the words, obviously trying to insult Adam, 'I don't recall requesting an audience with you. So if you'll excuse me, I was discussing some important matters with my fiancée.' He gave Adam an evil look, clearly trying to provoke him. Before I knew what was happening, Adam had punched Gaston in the face.

* * *

Adam's POV

I knew I shouldn't have done what I did, but I just couldn't help myself. The way Gaston talked about Belle, it was as if he _owned_ her. It was sickening. When he started referring to Belle as his fiancée, however, I lost it. So I punched him in the face, which felt good for about half a second. After that half second, I started to regret my actions though. I had let my temper get the best of me, even though I had promised myself I would _never_ let that happen again. As Gaston was trying to keep his balance, I quickly turned around to face Belle. Her beautiful, brown eyes were wide with shock, though I thought I detected a hint of amusement in them as well. 'Let's go, Belle. You need to get inside,' I told her, pushing her gently back into the cottage.

'Get your hands off my girl!' Clearly, Gaston had regained his balance, as well as his arrogance. I let out an exasperated sigh. 'I have had it with you, Monsieur. Either you leave Belle alone _right now_, or I will have you arrested!' Gaston was not impressed by my threat. On the contrary, he threw back his head, and laughed. 'Are you in love with her, _Prince_? Did you honestly think she'd want anyone other than _me_?' His words made me even more angry. How could he talk about Belle, about _anyone_, like that? As if he could possess her. Then it struck me. _I was just like this man once_. My arrogance and cruelness were exactly what made the enchantress put the spell on me in the first place. Ten years ago, I thought she had made a horrible mistake, how could anyone put a spell like that on a _child_? Looking at Gaston finally made me realize how terrible I had been.

I glared at Gaston. 'I think it's best if you leave, Monsieur. _Now_,' I told him coldly, and turned around, ready to go back into the cottage with Belle. As I had my back on the hunter, I heard one of the villagers gasp. I turned around again, just in time to see Gaston raise his knife. 'Belle is _mine_!' He yelled and lunged towards me. Luckily, I was fast enough to dodge the weapon, though it did cause me to trip and fall. As I looked up, I saw the large man jump on top of me. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared myself to throw him off me.

* * *

Gaston's POV

It had been hours since Belle and that excuses for a man _Adam_ had left. Lefou told me all about it as soon as I regained my consciousness. Apparently, I had hit my head on a fence when that Prince threw me off. As soon as they realized I was out cold, they had fled, back to his castle. 'Probably in hiding,' I sneered under my breath. 'But I _will _have Belle as my wife, make no mistake about that!'

* * *

Phew, that was tough! To be quite honest, I am not Gaston's biggest fan, so writing him wasn't as much fun as writing Adam and Belle. (: Hope you like it anyway!


	6. Chapter 6

Adam's POV

I was having a bad day. After Belle, Maurice, and me made it back from their village, both Cogsworth and Lumière had been waiting for us. I had to admit I was glad to see them at first, and even more glad to notice they weren't in some kind of argument – I couldn't even remember the last time that happened. However, as soon as the two servants saw us, Belle and me had been separated. Mrs. Potts came hurrying outside, taking Maurice with her. This relieved me, I was sure he would get the best possible care here. Another servant, whose name I didn't know – though I did see Lumière stare after her longingly, so I was quite sure it was the former feather duster he used to flirt around with, whisked Belle away from me, and all we could was stare. I managed to give her half a wave, but then Cogsworth was all over me.

'Excuse me for asking, Sire, but could you _please_ explain what happened?' Cogsworth asked, eying me warily. I looked down and realized I was a bit of a mess. No, scratch that. I was a _terrible _mess. There was mud all over my clothes,my shirt was half open, and I could see some bruises forming. Earlier I had noticed my hair was hanging loose, and Belle had told me there was hay in it. She sounded amused by this though, which was why I hadn't done anything about this. Apart from all this, I was also walking with a bit of a limp; after I had knocked the living daylights out of him – as one of the villagers had yelled at me – I had tripped on the stairs as I made my way back into Belle and Maurice's cottage. I'm afraid I was still getting used to this new body. I realized both Lumière and Cogsworth were staring at me, though Lumière looked amused rather than annoyed, which was Cogsworth's expression. 'I... Um... I had a fight,' I mumbled, not wanting to go into the details. Cogsworth clicked his tongue in impatience, whereas my maître d' merely chuckled. 'Master, you do realize you have _reputation_ to uphold now? Surely, once we let the other nobles know you have, ah... _returned_, this castle will once again be _overflowing_ with aristocrats, like the old days.' Cogsworth looked _extremely_ satisfied with this fact. I stared at my majordomo with a look of horror on my face. There were so many questions on my mind, I didn't even know where to begin. _Reputation? Other nobles? Returned? _What on earth was he talking about?

As we walked into the West Wing, I asked Cogsworth what in the world he meant. He looked at me as if I was four years old again, and I had asked why I had to eat my vegetables. 'Well, your Highness, Lumière and I had been talking about how we could explain your ten year absence to the other aristocrats, and I am happy to inform you that I came up with a rather brilliant idea. We will simply tell them you have been traveling abroad, in order to make new acquaintances.' he looked very proud of himself. I noticed Lumière opening his mouth, probably to remind Cogsworth that it had been _his_ idea, but I wasn't in the mood. 'So, um.. Have you informed anybody yet?' I asked, tentatively, sure he would know who I was talking about. Cogsworth turned red, and he started to sweat a little. 'Yes, well, you see, Sire.. We wanted to... Circumstances being what they are... We sent a letter to your uncle, the King.'

I let myself fall into a chair, feeling as if the ground had just vanished. 'You did whát?' I asked silently.

* * *

Belle's POV

I was in my room with Babette, who was chattering away, though I didn't catch much of what she said. Adam, Papa, and I had returned to the castle only an hour ago, and though I was glad to be back, I was sure we hadn't seen the last of Gaston yet. This worried me, but what worried me even more was Papa. His condition had been far from ideal when we reached the castle. I was convinced he was in good hands with Mrs. Potts, but I couldn't help worrying. What I needed right now was Adam's presence. Babette had brought me to my room to clean me up before I had had the chance to say goodbye to him. Since he was with Cogsworth and Lumière when I last saw him, I was quite sure it would be a while before I would see him again. Letting out a sigh, I wondered if I should try to get some sleep. Despite being up for well over 24 hours, I didn't feel even slightly tired yet. I was pretty sure I couldn't even stay in this room, as I was so restless after everything that had happened today. Then it dawned on me. It was so simple, so logical. _The library!_ How had I not thought of that before?

'Say, Babette,' I told the maid and former feather duster, 'I'm sure you could use some rest. It's been a long day for you, after all.' I really did like Babette, but as soon as I decided I wanted to go to the library, I couldn't wait another minute. '_Mais non, Mademoiselle!_ I don't mind staying here at all, I like keeping you company! As I told Mrs. Potts one day...' Babette started babbling again, but I cut her off, hoping she wasn't offended by this. 'Babette, I am really sorry! I like your company too, it's just that.. Well, I am a little tired,' I was praying she would never found out I wasn't actually tired. She didn't seem to notice though, for which I was grateful. '_Bien sûr, Mademoiselle!_I'll let you get some rest then. I will see you in the morning. _Bonne nuit!__'_ With that, she left my room, and I was finally alone, for the first time since before the curse was broken. I decided to wait a few minutes, to make sure Babette wasn't right outside my room anymore.

As I made my way to the library, I noticed once again how much the castle had changed after the spell was broken. It looked so much more friendly now, as the gargoyles had transformed into beautiful, white statues and paintings were hanging everywhere. I was so lost in thought, I didn't even notice I had already reached the library. I opened the huge doors, and slipped inside. I noticed a fire was on in the fireplace; surely thanks to one of the servants who had noticed how frequently the Beast-Adam and me visited this room. I smiled at the memories, this room was definitely where it had all begun. I walked over to my favorite armchair, where my latest book was still laying on the small table right next to it. It was 'Le Morte d'Arthur', one of my favorites_. _I was slightly hesitant to continue reading it though, as it was the book I was currently reading with Adam. _Perhaps I should pick a different book for tonight,_ I thought to myself. I walked around the room, wondering where to begin looking for a new book to read. Just then, I heard the doors open.

'Belle! I didn't know you were here!' It was Adam. I turned around, a smile on my face. 'That's okay,' I told him. 'What are you doing here? I thought Cogsworth and Lumière would keep you occupied for the rest of the week at least!' He smiled at this, as he walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me. I nestled my face into his chest, and let out a content sigh. I would be happy to spend the rest of my life like this. 'I was just putting down 'Le Morte d'Arthur' again, as I wanted to read it with you. Would you like to continue reading it?' I asked Adam. I was surprised to notice he didn't answer me right away, so I decided to see what was going on. I looked up, staring into his beautiful blue eyes. He looked as if he was making a tough decision. 'I would love to, Belle,' he stroked my cheek as he answered me. 'But first there is something I'd like to tell you.' My eyes were full of questions as I kept staring at him. He smiled. 'I believe I owe you an explanation. I believe I never told you about the night I became the Beast.'

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait! I had midterms, so yay.. Lamest excuse ever, but still true. However, I am done with exams for two whole months, so hopefully I'll be able to update slightly more often. Not making any promises though, you'll never know!  
Anyway, I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for reading, it really is an amazing reward for me to know people actually enjoy this!


	7. Chapter 7

Belle's POV

I looked at Adam in surprise. _Was he really willing to share this with me already?_ In the back of my mind, I was extremely curious to know what had happened to him, but I had expected Adam to be more hesitant to share this with me, and I was okay with that. _Whenever he is ready, he'll tell you_, I kept telling myself, though obviously I had been wondering about the spell since I first met the Beast. 'Adam, are you sure? I can wait,' I told him, wanting to make sure he wouldn't regret the decision he had made. He smiled at me, and I could see the love in his eyes. As he put his lips on mine ever so softly, he whispered, 'I want to. I don't want to keep any secrets for you, not anymore.' Our kiss was short, but passionate. 'Come, let's sit,' he said, as he took my hand and started to lead me towards a small sofa, which I was pretty sure Papa would call a _Loveseat_. I decided not to mention this to Adam. Adam sat in silence for a couple of seconds, wringing his hands together. He seemed unsure how to begin. I immediately felt sorry for him. 'Adam,' I said, putting my hand on his arm, 'you can trust me. I won't judge you, I promise. And you don't have to tell me now, I can wait.' he looked into my eyes for a few seconds. Something he saw in there must have given him some courage, for he cleared his throat and started to talk.

'I had always been a spoiled child. Well, not always, but for as long as I can remember. I am told my mother tried to raise me as any other child, rather than a Prince. She died when I was three,' he said, almost matter of factly. 'Oh, Adam! I am so sorry, I had no idea!' I told him, but he shook his hid. 'It's okay, Belle, I can barely remember her, I was much too young. I'll show you a portrait of her one time, she was quite beautiful. After she passed, I was raised by the servants. Mrs. Potts mostly, though she was busy enough raising her own children. My father was much too busy doing.. well, whatever it was he did. I never was as close to him as you are to your father.' his comment made me realize how lucky I was. He was right, of course, I _was_ very close with my father. It's just that I had always taken this for granted. Now I realized it wasn't. 'Mrs. Potts was almost like a surrogate mother to me, I think you could say. When I had a nightmare, she was there to comfort me, when I was ill, she would b the one tending me, and she was the one who would scold me if I had done something I wasn't allowed to do. As I grew older, I started to push her away, in a sense. I was a Prince, surely I could do what I wanted!' He gave me a sad smile, almost apologetic. I squeezed his hand. 'The older I became, the more spoiled I became, and the more spoiled I became, the worse I behaved towards my servants.' He took a deep breath, and I realized we had come to the point of the actual enchantment. I squeezed his hand once more, wanting to make sure he knew I was there for him.

He took a deep breath. 'It was Christmas Eve, when I was eleven years old. The servants had put together a grand Christmas Ball, as was tradition. They had put _so much _ effort into that celebration, just to please me. They even got me a gift, but I still demanded more. Nothing was ever enough for me. I was furious at them, they had ruined my Christmas. At that moment, somebody knocked on the door, which infuriated me even more. Who would _dare to interrupt _my Christmas? It was an old beggar woman. She was looking for a place to spend the night, and she offered me a rose in return. Of course, I refused, because I thought she looked dirty.' Adam stared at his hands in shame. 'Adam, it's okay, you didn't know' I tried to make him feel better, but it didn't work. 'But I did! Mrs. Potts had always told me to be kind to other people, even if they were commoners. I had no excuse to behave the way I did.' He looked at me, as if to challenge me to say otherwise. I decided not to do so.

Adam continued his story. 'The old woman warned me not to be deceived by her appearance, for beauty is found within. But I just sneered at her, and sent her away. I turned around, ready to go back to the celebration and yell at my servants some more, but I was distracted by a bright light behind me. I turned around and saw a beautiful woman, floating several feet above the ground. At once, I realized I had made a great mistake. I tried to apologize and begged for forgiveness, but the Enchantress transformed me into the Beast. She told me that I had no love in my heart, which was true. She gave me ten years to find somebody I could love, and earn her love in return, despite the way I looked.' He gave me a look that was filled with both love and pride. 'If somebody would love me before the time was up, the spell would be broken. If not, I would be doomed to remain a Beast for always.'

Adam looked at me, trying to see my reaction. I was shocked. _Ten years_? 'You spent _ten years_ as a Beast?' I whispered, tears in my eyes. 'Oh Adam, that's... that's just...' He gave me that sad smile again. 'I deserved it, Belle. I was a very, _very_ spoiled and unkind child. And, to be honest, I hadn't changed one bit, until I met you. You were the first time who stood up to me, ever. Nobody had done that, but you did, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.' He chuckled, but then turned serious again. 'Belle, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. You truly have saved all of us, not just me. So thank you. I will be forever in your debt.' With that, he leaned forward slowly. I lifted my head up, closed my eyes, and waited for our lips to touch.

* * *

Adam's POV

Kissing Belle was something I had done quite a lot over the last 24 hours, but this kiss was different. Maybe it was because of my relief to have shared the truth with Belle, or maybe it was because Belle was glad I told her everything. I wasn't sure, but I wasn't complaining. After I finally pulled away, I looked into Belle's eyes, seeing nothing but warmth. She put her hand on my cheek. 'Thank you,' she said sincerely, 'for sharing. I know this must be hard for you, but I'm glad to know.' I smiled at her. 'I'm glad too, it means a lot to me be able to share this with you. In a way I'm glad the Enchantress put the spell on me that night. If she hadn't, I probably would never have met you.' I shuddered at the thought, but reminded myself quickly that she was here now. I leaned down to kiss her again

We stayed on the sofa cuddled together for hours. After a while Belle drifted off to sleep after a while, curled up on my chest. Careful not to wake her, I placed a light kiss on the top of her head. I couldn't believe my luck. It had been ten years, ten years I had to wait for this beautiful girl. Ten years of hoping, of praying the spell would break. There were times I had given up all hope. After all, who could ever learn to love a Beast? Even after Belle had come to the castle, I didn't dare to hope she would be the one I had been waiting for. She was so beautiful, how would she be able to love an ugly monster? Yet here we were, Belle snuggled up on my chest. This was where I belonged. I sighed happily, and after a while, I finally fell asleep as well.

* * *

A/N: Sooo! Slightly (Read: WAY!) earlier than planned, but I figured all you awesome people deserved a little treat for waiting so long last time! Also, I didn't have to go to University today, and I was dying to find out what happened next as well. So there you have it! Hope you enjoy, as always!


	8. Chapter 8

Belle's POV

It had been a week since Adam shared his story with me. A week in which we had every waking moment together, 'getting to know each other', as Lumière had put it, every time Cogsworth started complaining. The last week had definitely been the best one of my life. Papa was getting better, thanks to Mrs. Potts' amazing care. Yesterday, Adam and me had been to visit him. Adam had told Papa the story of the curse as well, much to my delight. He was trying so hard to make up for the wrongdoing he had done, he didn't even listen to me as I tried to explain to him this wasn't necessary. 'I locked him up, Belle,' he told me every time, 'I locked _you_ up!' He would always give me same sad look, yet recently he had been able to continue on a more positive note: 'I suppose I'll just have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you,' which, much to my delight, was always followed by a kiss.

Much to my surprise, Papa merely chuckled after Adam finished telling his story. I was flabbergasted, this was certainly not the reaction I had expected. A quick glance at Adam's face told me he was as unprepared for this reaction as I had been. 'Well,' Papa started off, 'that was certainly an entertaining story. Don't get me wrong, son, I feel terrible about what happened to you, but the look on your face throughout the story was priceless. And _you_,' Papa was speaking to me then, and I felt my cheeks redden. 'I thought I raised you better than that, young lady! Running off with the first man you come across...' I was starting to protest, as was Adam, but Papa simply burst out laughing. 'Oh, you two! I'm just messing with you!' I looked at Adam again, unsure what he would make of this. Sure, I always knew Papa liked to joke around, but was this really the right time to do so? Adam looked torn between staying flabbergasted and laughing. It was quite the comical expression. I turned my attention back to my Father. 'Papa,' I scolded, 'do you _really_ think this is the right time for one of your jokes? This is serious!' Papa looked taken aback, like he didn't realize just how serious this was. He looked at Adam. 'I'm sorry, Adam,' he mumbled, as if he too was ashamed of his actions, 'I feel terrible about what happened to you as a young boy. It was very brave of you to share this story with me, and I am grateful that you did.' he shot me a glance, and said something that brought tears to my eyes. 'Welcome to the family, son.'

Another thing that caught me by surprise this last week, were my own thoughts. Every time I saw Adam, the word _engagement _went through my head. _Don't be ridiculous, _I kept telling myself every time this crazy idea entered my thoughts. The curse broke just a week ago, surely Adam would want to enjoy his newfound freedom first, before settling down. _You know he loves you!_ It was true; Adam had yet to get through more than a few hours without telling me how much he loved me. And, to be honest, I enjoyed this quite a bit. However, it was quite unnerving as well. Hadn't I once dreamt of seeing the world? Why was I suddenly so content with staying her for the rest of my life? _As long as I get to spend it with Adam. _He truly was the happily ever after I always read about in my books.

On the morning two weeks after the spell had been broken I walked down for breakfast and found Adam waiting for me in the hall, just like every morning. 'Good morning,' I told him as I reached up to kiss him. He smiled. 'Mmm, good morning to you, too! Shall we?' He offered me his arm and together we went to have something to eat. As I was nibbling on a croissant, Cogsworth came rushing in. _that's odd, _I thought. Usually, the servants let us eat in peace. I suspected Lumière had to restrain Cogsworth at times, since he loved to come bursting in at, ah.. private moments. I smiled as I remembered the last time Adam and I were in the library. We had been sharing a rather passionate kiss, when all of a sudden Cogsworth came in. it was rather embarrassing. Today, however, he looked extremely serious, more so than usual.

'Cogsworth? What's wrong?' Adam asked, sounding worried. He looked very much like a prince to me all of a sudden. I had to admit I kind of liked it. 'Your Grace. Mademoiselle,' he nodded in my direction. 'Pardon me for interrupting, but I have received a rather important letter just now. It's from the King.'

* * *

Adam's POV

_The King? _My _Father_ actually replied to the letter Lumière and Cogsworth had sent? I was hesitant, suddenly very much aware of Belle's presence. Not that I didn't want her here, obviously I did. It's just that I hadn't told her everything about the less than warm relationship I had with my father. 'Have you read it?' I asked Cogsworth, almost hoping he had. He showed me the back of the envelope. The wax seal was still intact, indicating it hadn't been opened yet. 'I haven't, Your Grace. But if you want, I could read it to you?' I thought about this for a few seconds, but decided against it. 'Thank you, Cogsworth, but I think it's better if I read it myself.' the Majordomo obviously sensed I had just dismissed him. He gave a small bow to both Belle and myself and left the room. Belle still hadn't said anything, though I could almost feel her curiosity. I didn't look at her, not quite trusting my emotions enough at the moment.

I stared at the envelope again. _My father. _The man who had left me here alone after my mother had died. A part of me, even just a tiny part, still blamed him for what happened that faithful Christmas Eve. I knew this wasn't fair, that it had been _my _fault, but I couldn't help myself. Across the table, Belle gave a small cough. 'Adam?' are you alright? Would you like me to leave too?' _Leave?_ Why would I want her to leave? I gave her a smile that I hoped looked reassuring, though I wasn't sure if it really was. 'No, please don't. It's just... Well, I haven't spoke to my father in a long time. I guess I'm a little hesitant about what he has to say.' Belle stood up and walked towards me. As she reached my chair, she placed her hand on my arm and gave me a warm smile. 'I'm sure everything will be alright, Adam. I'll be right here if you need me, okay?' With that she kissed my forehead and sat down in the chair next to me. With trembling hands, I finally opened the envelope.

As I read, I felt my eyebrows knit together, first in concentration, then in anger and finally in absolute terror. After I finished, I wished I could erase the memory of what I had just read from my memory. I crumpled the letter, as if that would somehow make me forget what I had just read. 'Adam? What does it say?' Belle could feel my anxious reaction. I took a deep breath. 'My father died several years ago.' I told her, surprised by the lack of emotion in my voice. Sure, my father and I hadn't exactly been close, but he was still my _father_. Belle gasped. 'Oh, Adam! I am so sorry! Is there anything I can do for you?' She looked horrified, as if she had just heard her own father had just died. Wasn't this the reaction I should have as well? 'No, it's fine Belle. To be honest, I'm not even that sad about it,' I realized what I just said, and quickly added, 'I mean, he was my father, but he was also the one who left me here when I was just a little boy. I haven't seen him since that day. And even before all that I barely saw him, he was always so busy. But I should feel _something_, right?' As a matter of fact, it frightened me a little bit, this lack of emotion, of sorrow. Any _normal_ person would feel terrible, right?

Much to my surprise, Belle got up from her chair a settled herself on my lap. 'You know, everyone is different,' she started off, 'and what your father did to you was absolutely _terrible._ To just abandon your won child like that, nobody should have to go through that. Adam, I know you. You are a truly good person. You are,' she added, when I opened my mouth in protest. 'You didn't deserve what happened to you. And I don't blame you feel not feeling any remorse. You haven't seen this man in well over ten years, and even before that time he was hardly ever around. He might as well have been an acquaintance. So no, nothing is wrong with you.' After this little speech was over, she crossed her arms and glared at me, as if she dared me to say otherwise. I decided I valued my life too much to do so. 'Thank you, Belle,' I told her. 'It means a lot to me, to have you here, so I can share this with you.' I took a deep breath, and Belle immediately sensed there was more.

'What else?' She asked. I gave her a small smile. Did she ever miss _anything_? 'It's my Uncle,' I told her, 'After my father died, he took over the throne.' I looked at her, wondering how to continue. 'So what about this uncle?' Belle asked. I looked her in the eye. 'He's coming here.'

* * *

A/N: Hey there! So, first I would like to apologize for that weird thing with Maurice happening. For some reason, I always imagined Maurice doing this, though I suspect that this has to do with y own Dad doing weird things like that. Actually broke up a couple of relationships, that has. Ah, the love of a father! So yeah, sorry.  
Other than that, not much to say, except THANK YOU to all who read and review. I love each and everyone of you!


	9. Chapter 9

Belle's POV

'He's coming here,' Adam didn't look thrilled at the prospect of a family reunion. Not that I could blame him, after all that he's been through... I knew he must have had a tough childhood, but never had I imagined that he had just been abandoned by his own father. After he told me his story, I could only emphasize with Adam; how could I not? All he saw was the monster he had been, but he had shown so much kindness and love, for me it had become impossible to see the monster that had imprisoned my father many months ago. Back then, all I did was blame the Beast, but now I understood everything, and I couldn't help but feel guilty about the hatred I had felt towards him then.

I was so lost in my train of thoughts I completely forgot about everything else. It wasn't until Adam let out a small cough that I realized he was probably waiting for a reply of some sorts. 'I'm sorry, I was just thinking,' I told him apologetically. 'What are you going to tell him?' Adam looked at me, confusion clearly visible in his bright blue eyes. 'What do you mean?' he asked. 'Well, I'm pretty sure your uncle will expect some sort of explanation about your whereabouts. You just disappeared for a decade, he'll want to know where you've been, I'm sure.' Adam seemed taken aback, as if he hadn't thought about that. 'You know Belle, I hadn't even thought about that,' I chuckled as he confirmed my suspicions. 'That's okay, I'm sure we can think of something,' I told him, 'when is your uncle due to arrive?' Adam scanned the letter. 'It says here he's on his way, so I would expect him to arrive within a week.' _A week?_ That was shorter than I had anticipated, considering he would probably have to come from up north. 'Huh. Perhaps it would be a good idea to inform Cogsworth, I'm sure he'll have a stroke if he finds out you'll have such an important visitor coming.' With that, Adam's worried mood finally seemed to disappear. He grinned widely, and got up from his chair to rush to my side. I barely had time to get up as well before he reached me and pulled me into a quick, but passionate kiss. 'Come on, let's go and tell the old clock,' Adam said, a glint of something I couldn't quite place in his eyes. His enthusiasm was quite addictive though, and together we left the room, identical grins on our faces.

When I said Cogsworth would have a stroke when we told him about the upcoming visit of Adam's uncle, I wasn't serious. However, Cogsworth's reaction to the news was far too close to my prediction. He was currently running around the castle shouting orders to whomever he ran in to. It had taken him a couple of minutes to recover from the news we had given him. For a moment, I had been terrified that he would faint, if not worse, but luckily his state of panic never moved past the hyperventilating. Adam just shook his head, chuckling. 'I knew we shouldn't have told him until the last possible moment! We should have put Lumière in charge.' I snorted. Putting Lumière in charge might have been better for Cogsworth's nerves, but I doubted the castle would end up in the perfect state it would no doubt end up in now that Cogsworth was in charge. 'Poor man,' Adam muttered, though there was an obvious smile in his voice. I chuckled as well, and then turned serious again.

'Adam, would you mind telling me about your uncle?' I asked, cautiously. Though I was sure he wouldn't want to at first, I figured I had the right to know. After all, I would meat this man next week as well. 'My uncle? Why?' Adam asked, as I had thought he would. 'Because I want to know about your family. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe your uncle is your only living relative, and I don't even know his name!' Adam continued to stare at me, obviously not willing to share the story yet, so I tried a different argument. 'Adam, I want to know because I want to be there for you, to support you. I want to be part of your life.' Adam suddenly became very quiet, though the amusement that had been evident in his beautiful blue eyes earlier had been replaced with some other emotion. As I was trying to decide whether it was confusion or adoration, Adam started to speak.

'I haven't seen my uncle Christophe in over fifteen years.' I gasped, not having expected it to have been _that _long. Adam gave me his sad smile, and continued his story. 'The last time I saw him was at my mother's funeral. Uncle Christophe is my father's younger brother, though they are nothing alike, not as far as I have seen, that is. My father was always distant,always working, especially after my mother had died. Uncle Christophe was always very kind to me, he always found the time to spend some time with me when he was visiting.' Adam smiled again, remembering a long gone memory. 'As I said, I haven't seen him since my mother's funeral. Father send me here shortly after that, and he never bothered to visit me.' The smile I had seen mere seconds ago, and it was obvious that Adam still felt resentment towards his uncle for just leaving him here when he was just a little boy. A little boy who had just lost not only his mother, but also his father, in a sense. My heart broke at the thought of a young Adam, sitting here all by himself. I was about to say something, to try to comfort Adam, as he continued to speak. 'You know what though? In a way I'm grateful to the both of them for just abandoning me here.' I was speechless. How could he possibly say something like that? The confusion must have been very obvious on my face, for Adam was explaining himself quickly. 'Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't think what they did was what was best for me, but if they hadn't left me here, I probably would never have met _you_, Belle.' I had to fight to keep myself from crying after this exclamation. Instead I buried my face in his chest, as if to show him how glad I was to have met him.

* * *

Adam's POV

Belle buried her face in my chest and let out a soft sob. Gently, I lifted her chin with my finger. 'Hey, don't cry, Belle. It's alright, it was years ago.' I kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes, willing her to believe my words. She buried her face again though, this time letting out a sigh that seemed almost content. 'I know, Adam,' she mumbled into my shirt, 'but it's just that, in a sense, I am grateful to your father and uncle as well. I can't imagine _not_ having you in my life anymore. But then I also feel guilty for feeling this way, since they _did_ just abandon you, even though you were just a little boy.' For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Part of me was amused, it was so, well, _Belle_ to think like that. On the other hand, I was touched beyond words. To have somebody care for me so much, it was unbelievable. I still felt like I didn't deserve Belle, but to hear her confess her feelings about me was something I would never get used to. 'Belle,' I told her softly, 'there is no need to feel guilty. It was _years_ ago, I got over it. And I met you as a result, and for that I can never be sorry.'

Belle lifted her head and looked into my eyes. I could see how full of tears her deep doe eyes were, and I felt the oddest sensation. It was an emotion I was sure I had never felt before meeting Belle,i felt hurt at her obvious pain. Slowly, I lifted my had to gently tuck a strand of her hair back into place. 'Really?' she asked quietly. I smiled at the beautiful, silly girl in my arms. 'Really,' I assured her and leaned down to kiss her once more.

'Now, love,' I told her after we broke apart, somewhat shocked at my own daring to address Belle like this, 'would you like to finish that croissant you left on your plate?' Belle chuckled, but agreed. Hand in hand, we walked back towards the kitchen, enjoying the peace for as long as it would last.


	10. Chapter 10

Belle's POV

Uncle Christophe had arrived this morning. It took five days for for him to arrive at the castle. Five terribly long days for me, since Cogsworth had basically abducted Adam. Cogsworth's excuse was that Adam needed to have his memory refreshed on all the royal etiquettes. Adam had agreed with him, though I was sure he hadn't anticipated the five day imprisonment. I had see him briefly during breakfast this morning, before Cogsworth took him-again. I sighed as I remembered our conversation of this morning, it had been the first time we had been in a fight, and it had all been because I overreacted.

'Adam! You made it!' I felt a grin starting to form on my face, just like every time I saw Adam, I felt like some hormonal teenager. Adam smiled, and gave me a peck on the lips. 'I won't be long, love. Cogsworth is probably arranging a search party as we speak.' He made a face, but I didn't think his joke was funny. The smile left my face, something Adam noticed at once. 'Belle, what is it? You've been looking rather gloomy the past couple of days.' I bit my lip, not wanting to admit what was going on. The truth was that I missed Adam. It was silly, and I knew it. He was still right here in the castle, but I had gotten so used to spending every waking moment with him, it was strange, only having these few stolen moments a breakfast. I looked up to see Adam staring at me with piercing eyes. 'Belle?' He sounded serious. I sighed again. 'It's nothing, Adam. Really.' The problem was that I didn't even believe myself, so I doubted Adam would. I was right. He took a step forward, leaving mere inches between us. 'Belle, would you _please_ tell me what's going on? Please?' He looked at me with puppy eyes, and I felt my resistance crumbling. 'Fine,' I huffed, 'but you're not going to like what you hear!' Adam looked amused, but didn't interrupt. 'It's just that.. Well.. I miss you! I wish you would speak to Cogsworth about at least letting us have dinner together! We've barely seen each other the last couple of days!' I felt terrible, saying all this, but I couldn't stop now. 'Cogsworth just comes marching in, and you follow him around, no matter where he goes. Have you forgotten I'm here too?' I was being terrible, and I knew it. The truth was, I didn't even know where all this came from. Yes, I missed having Adam around, and yes, I wished he would talk to Cogsworth about this, but I also knew he couldn't help it. I took a deep breath to steady myself before I dared to look at Adam again. He looked absolutely flabbergasted.

It took a while before Adam spoke. 'Belle,' he sounded unsure, and deep inside I felt terrible for what I had said, though I refused to let it show right now, now was not the time for that. In the back of my head I could hear Papa's voice, accusing me of being terribly stubborn, as he had many times. I pushed it away for the time being. 'Belle,' Adam continued, 'you know what we're discussing, right? Cogsworth and I? All we're doing is talking about politics. Don't you think I'd much rather spend my time with you? I'm not keeping any secrets from you, you know that. And as soon as my uncle leaves, everything will be back to normal, I promise.' I narrowed my eyes. 'You're lying,' I decided. Adam looked taken aback. 'What? What makes you think that?' 'I know it, there's something you're not telling me, don't deny it, Adam!' This time it was Adam who lost his temper. 'You know I am not keeping anything from you!' He reminded me so much of the Beast when he said that, I was not sure how to respond at first. It only lasted for a second though. 'So I guess you'd think that I'd be perfectly okay sitting around, waiting for you to do something about this situation," I said, my voice thick with anger. 'Like you'd just keep me here like some sort of a prisoner?' I had gone to far, and I knew it. I watched as Adam's expression changed from one of impatience to one of hurt. I felt terrible at my words. 'Adam,' I pleaded, wanting to explain, to apologize, 'please, let me explain, I didn't mean to-' He cut me off 'You didn't mean to what, Belle? To hurt me? To share your feelings like that? You know you don't have to stay here. If you feel like a prisoner, why don't you just leave?' With that he turned around and left, slamming the door behind him. After he had left, I could feel the tears starting to roll down my cheek. Just then, I heard somebody come in behind me. 'Mademoiselle? Are you alright?' It was Lumière.

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Adam's POV

I had gone straight to the West Wing after my discussion with Belle. It felt as if I was a Beast again, every time things didn't go the way I wanted them to I would hide up here. To be honest, it felt terrible. I thought I had grown past that, I hadn't done something like this since the night I chased Belle away. I felt sick as I realized I might have chased her away again, because I lost my temper again. I realized this was all my fault, Belle had been absolutely right when she accused me of hiding something from her, it was just not what she thought it was. I took the little box from my nightstand and opened it. I looked at the ring with tears in my eyes as I thought about how I might never be able to present it to Belle.

It had been over three weeks since the curse had been broken. I had spent almost every waking with Belle. Of course, it hadn't taken me long at all to decide I wanted to marry her. Not just because she was my savior, the one who saved me from my curse, but because I loved her more than anything, more than myself. However, it had taken me a while before I was brave enough to discuss this with my Majordomo and my Maître d'. Lumière was, of course, ecstatic with my decision. Though Cogsworth assured me he was happy for the both of us, he was also the one to get right down to business. He had been the one to arrange the perfect ring, which I was now holding in my hand. He was also the one to inform Maurice that I would be coming over to talk to him this afternoon, to make sure I couldn't get out of it, I assumed. What was I going to do now? I had ruined everything with my rash behavior. Just then, there was a knock on the door. 'Master?' It was Lumière. 'Leave me in peace,' I ordered him. I was not in the mood to talk right now. 'I beg you pardon, Your Highness, but I ran into Mademoiselle Belle just now, and I couldn't help but notice she seemed, ah- upset. Is everything alright between the two of you?' I sighed. Of course it would be Lumière who would run into Belle. 'It's fine,' I mumbled. The door opened. I turned around, Í told you to leave me-oh.' It was not Lumière, as I suspected. It was Belle.

'Oh, Adam,' she came rushing to me, tears in her eyes. I dropped the box with ring in it, quickly kicking it under my bed. Luckily, Belle didn't seem to notice. 'Adam, I am so, so sorry!' she all but threw herself at me, crying. I held her tight. 'I'm sorry for what I said, I had no right to yell at you like that! I don't know what came over me' She shook her head. 'I am a terrible person,' she mumbled. I lifted her chin, looking into her eyes. 'Belle, you have nothing to be sorry off, you hear me? Nothing. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. Please, please don't leave me, Belle! Je t'aime, I love you!' Belle looked at me, a sad amusement in her eyes. 'Adam, I wasn't going to leave. I would never be able to do that. I love you too. I will always love you.' She kissed me, and I knew she had forgiven me for my inexcusable behavior.

'What would you say about a walk around the gardens?' I asked her as we broke apart. 'Mmm, I would like that,' she answered, a smile on her face. I took her hand and we walked outside together. Lumière was nowhere to be found. As we walked towards the main entrance, I realized I hadn't seen Cogsworth anywhere. I assumed Lumière or Mrs. Potts had forbidden him to find me. I had to remember to thank them for that later.

The walk down to the castle grounds was quiet. Too quiet. Belle kept turning to me, as if hoping I was going to say something to her, but I didn't seem to want to have anything interesting to say. Belle herself didn't seem to know what to say either, so we walked in a comfortable silence. We reached the gardens and I closed my eyes for a minute, enjoying the lovely weather outside. Belle, too, seemed to enjoy this weather. She took a deep breath and smiled. 'Do you smell that?' She asked, 'it's the smell of spring!' Before I knew what was happening, we were running around the grounds, chasing each other around the oak tree where we had our first snowball fight some many months ago. It must have been the most fun I've had in ages.

After half an hour I dropped down in the grass, exhausted of our silly games. I watched as Belle threw herself on the grass as well and closed her eyes. She looked so content in that moment, all I could do was stare at her, feeling utterly satisfied. I brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and leaned down to kiss her. For a moment she froze, not having expected this, but she quickly lifted her arms in response. As we lay there on the grass, I heard a carriage behind me. We got up and I looked around. It was a royal carriage, which could only mean one thing. My uncle had arrived.

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A/N: So before everyone gets all mad at me for having Belle react the way she did, let me explain! In my eyes, Belle is an extremely strong willed woman, which I admire about her. However, I also feel she's very stubborn, and this sometimes leads to reactions like this. So that. :) My sister was super pissed, she told me Belle would never say things like that, but it is one of the things I love about her. Hope you can understand why I did this. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed reading this!


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